CAREN – Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment is an advanced system developed by Motek Medical for human movement assessment, rehabilitation, and research, integrating biomechanics, immersive virtual reality, motion capture, an instrumented treadmill, and a dynamic motion platform.
The system is designed for advanced investigation and training of gait, balance, motor control, and locomotion, enabling professionals and researchers to create controlled and challenging environments while objectively measuring human movement and performance.
Integrated Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Environment
CAREN combines multiple technologies within a single integrated environment, allowing researchers and professionals to study human movement from different perspectives simultaneously.
Depending on the system configuration, the platform can integrate:
- Instrumented treadmill;
- Dynamic motion platform;
- Motion capture;
- Immersive virtual reality;
- Real-time biofeedback;
- Specialized control software;
- Biomechanical data acquisition.
This integration makes it possible to analyze movement while users perform functional tasks under controlled virtual and physical conditions.
Gait Assessment and Training
One of the primary applications of CAREN is gait analysis and gait therapy.
The system enables professionals and researchers to create conditions in which different aspects of locomotion can be evaluated while objective performance data are collected.
Applications include:
- Gait analysis;
- Gait therapy;
- Gait adaptability;
- Motor control;
- Motor learning;
- Perturbation assessment;
- Perturbation training.
These capabilities allow users' responses and adaptations to different locomotor challenges to be investigated.
Balance Assessment and Therapy
CAREN is also designed for advanced balance assessment and training.
The integration of the motion platform, treadmill, motion capture, and virtual environment makes it possible to create controlled conditions in which balance strategies and responses can be evaluated during different tasks.
The platform can therefore support both Balance Assessment and Balance/Gait Therapy within the same integrated environment.
Dynamic Motion Platform
One of the defining components of CAREN is its dynamic motion platform integrated with the treadmill.
Depending on the configuration, the platform can provide movement in multiple degrees of freedom, allowing controlled perturbations and environmental changes to be introduced while the user performs gait and balance tasks.
This creates training and research possibilities that extend beyond those of a conventional treadmill.
Instrumented Treadmill
The instrumented treadmill enables walking activities while biomechanical information is collected.
Advanced CAREN configurations can incorporate dual-belt or split-belt treadmill technology, enabling the two sides to be controlled independently for specialized gait protocols.
Combined with the motion platform and additional sensors, the treadmill becomes part of a comprehensive environment for biomechanical investigation.
Immersive Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is a central component of the CAREN environment.
Users can interact with virtual scenarios while walking, maintaining balance, responding to stimuli, or completing specific tasks.
These environments make it possible to reproduce complex functional challenges under controlled conditions, providing researchers and clinicians with greater flexibility than conventional laboratory environments.
Functional and Real-World Scenarios
CAREN can create functional virtual environments that reproduce challenges inspired by real-world situations.
Users can navigate complex virtual scenarios while their movement and performance are monitored by the system.
This creates an integrated workflow:
Movement → Sensors → Analysis → Virtual Environment → Biofeedback → Task Adaptation
The environment can therefore respond dynamically to the user's movement.
Real-Time Biofeedback
CAREN supports real-time biofeedback, connecting physical movement with the virtual environment.
Information captured during an activity can be processed and presented as visual or interactive feedback, allowing specific movement parameters to influence the task in real time.
This functionality can support both rehabilitation activities and experimental research protocols.
Motion Capture
Motion capture technology allows body movements to be recorded during assessments, training sessions, and experiments.
When combined with the instrumented treadmill and dynamic platform, motion capture provides detailed information for biomechanical analysis.
Advanced CAREN installations can integrate multi-camera motion-capture configurations for three-dimensional movement analysis.
Objective Data Collection
One of CAREN's major advantages for research is its ability to collect objective data on human performance under dynamic and challenging conditions.
Researchers can develop experimental protocols in which environmental variables are controlled while movement responses are systematically recorded.
This makes CAREN particularly valuable for biomechanical and human-movement research.
Perturbation Assessment and Training
CAREN supports applications for Perturbation Assessment and Perturbation Training.
The system can introduce controlled challenges while the user performs gait or balance tasks.
This allows professionals and researchers to investigate adaptive responses and movement strategies when users encounter expected or unexpected changes in their environment.
Dual-Tasking
Another important application is Dual-Tasking, where a user performs a motor task while simultaneously responding to an additional cognitive or functional challenge.
This approach can be used to investigate the interaction between cognitive processing and motor performance during walking, balance, and other functional activities.
Motor Control and Motor Learning
CAREN can also support research and training related to motor control and motor learning.
The ability to manipulate environmental conditions, provide feedback, and objectively record movement responses enables professionals and researchers to investigate how users adapt their movement strategies over time.
This expands its applications into areas such as biomechanics, neuroscience, rehabilitation science, and human performance.
Clinical Applications
In clinical environments, CAREN is primarily oriented toward assessment and rehabilitation involving gait and balance impairments.
The platform can be incorporated into programs addressing functional limitations associated with:
- Neurological conditions;
- Orthopedic conditions;
- Traumatic injuries;
- Other conditions affecting gait, balance, or locomotion.
Its controlled environment allows increasingly complex functional challenges to be introduced according to the goals of the rehabilitation program.
Research Applications
CAREN also functions as an advanced platform for human movement research.
Researchers can use the system to investigate topics such as:
- Biomechanics;
- Gait;
- Balance;
- Motor control;
- Motor learning;
- Locomotor adaptation;
- Perturbation responses;
- Virtual reality;
- Human performance;
- Rehabilitation technologies.
Its integrated architecture enables multiple sources of biomechanical and behavioral information to be synchronized within the same experimental environment.
Safety During Dynamic Activities
CAREN installations can incorporate body-support and safety systems designed to protect users during challenging gait and balance activities.
This is particularly important for protocols involving dynamic platform movement or controlled perturbations.
The safety configuration allows demanding activities to be performed within a controlled environment while reducing the risk associated with loss of balance.
Software Integration
CAREN integrates hardware and software to synchronize the different components of the rehabilitation and research environment.
The Motek ecosystem includes specialized software for controlling virtual environments, stimuli, data acquisition, and interactive protocols.
This architecture enables researchers and professionals to combine:
Hardware + Sensors + Virtual Reality + Data + Feedback + Customized Protocols
within a unified platform.
Main Areas of Application
CAREN can support applications involving:
- Balance assessment;
- Balance and gait therapy;
- Dual-tasking;
- Real-time feedback;
- Gait adaptability;
- Gait analysis;
- Motor control;
- Motor learning;
- Perturbation assessment;
- Perturbation training;
- Virtual reality;
- Biomechanical research.
Key Features
- Advanced Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment;
- Integrated biomechanics and virtual reality;
- Clinical and research applications;
- Advanced gait assessment;
- Gait analysis;
- Balance assessment;
- Gait and balance therapy;
- Dynamic motion platform;
- Instrumented treadmill;
- Motion-capture integration;
- Immersive virtual environments;
- Real-time biofeedback;
- Objective biomechanical data collection;
- Perturbation assessment;
- Perturbation training;
- Dual-task protocols;
- Gait adaptability assessment;
- Motor-control applications;
- Motor-learning applications;
- Functional virtual scenarios;
- Customizable research protocols;
- Advanced human-movement research capabilities;
- Integration with specialized software and measurement technologies.
Applications
The CAREN system can be incorporated into professional and scientific environments involving:
- Physical rehabilitation;
- Neurological rehabilitation;
- Orthopedic rehabilitation;
- Gait rehabilitation;
- Balance rehabilitation;
- Gait assessment;
- Balance assessment;
- Biomechanical analysis;
- Human movement research;
- Motor-control research;
- Motor-learning research;
- Locomotor adaptation;
- Perturbation training;
- Dual-task assessment;
- Virtual-reality rehabilitation;
- Human-performance research;
- Academic and clinical research.
An Advanced Laboratory for Human Movement
CAREN brings together technologies that would traditionally require multiple independent systems within a single integrated environment for assessment, rehabilitation, training, and human-movement research.
By combining a dynamic motion platform, instrumented treadmill, motion capture, immersive virtual reality, real-time biofeedback, and objective biomechanical data collection, CAREN enables gait and balance to be investigated under controlled yet complex functional conditions.
For research centers, universities, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and institutions specializing in biomechanics and human movement, CAREN provides an advanced infrastructure capable of combining biomechanical assessment, functional rehabilitation, and scientific research within a single platform.
CAREN — biomechanics, gait analysis, balance, virtual reality, and rehabilitation integrated into an advanced environment for studying and training human movement.
Contact our team for more information about CAREN, available configurations, clinical and research applications, installation requirements, technology integration, and commercial conditions.